You are the sole survivor of a devastating attack on the monastery where you were learning the skills of the Kai Lords. You swear vengeance on the Darklords for the massacre of the Kai warriors, and with a sudden flash of insight you know what you must do. You must set off on a perilous journey to the capital city to warn the King of the terrible threat that faces his people: For you are now the last of the Kai you are now Lone Wolf.
Joe Dever, the creator of the bestselling Lone Wolf adventure books and novels, has achieved world-wide recognition in three creative fields—as an award-winning author of international renown, as an acclaimed musician and composer, and as a games designer specialising in role-playing games.
On graduating from college in 1974, Joe Dever became a professional musician, and for several years, he worked in the music industry in Europe and the United States.
While working in Los Angeles in 1977 he discovered a then little-known game called ‘Dungeons & Dragons’. Although the game was in its infancy, Joe at once realised its huge potential and began designing his own role-playing games along similar conceptual lines. These first games were to form the basis of a fantasy world called Magnamund, which later became the setting for the Lone Wolf books.
Five years later, in 1982, Joe won the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons World Championships in Baltimore, an event held before 16,000 people. Inspired and encouraged by his success at Origins, Joe decided to quit the music business and devote his time to writing and games design.
In 1983, after a brief spell at Games Workshop in London, he wrote Flight from the Dark—the first Lone Wolf interactive gamebook. His manuscript immediately attracted a frenzy of interest from three major London publishing companies, all of whom bid for world rights. Joe accepted an offer of publication from Hutchinson's (later to become Century Hutchinson Ltd; now Random House UK) and Flight from the Dark was first published in 1984.
This first book sold more than 100,000 copies within its first month of publication, and overseas rights were snapped up by twelve countries (including the United States, France, Germany, Japan, Italy and Sweden). The success of Joe's first book laid the foundations for the future of the Lone Wolf series, which has sold millions of copies around the world.
The Lone Wolf series ended after 28 books and 14 years. Joe has continued to work in the games industry as script writer and games design consultant.
Gary Chalk, the illustrator of the early Lone Wolf series, was born in 1952, grew up in Hertfordshire, England. Being interested in history, he began playing war games at the age of fifteen. When he graduated from college with a Bachelor of Arts in design, Gary spent three years training in a studio before becoming a teacher in art and design.
Gary was working as a children's book illustrator when he became involved in adventure gaming, an interest which eventually led to the creation of several successful games. He is the inventor/illustrator of some of Britain's biggest-selling fantasy games including Cry Havoc, Starship Captain and Battlecars (co-designed with Ian Livingstone). He is also known for his work on the very successful game, Talisman.
Gary was working at Games Workshop when Joe Dever asked him to illustrate some of his manuscript of Flight from the Dark. The two teamed up after that and, they continued to work together until the eighth book in the series, The Jungle of Horrors.
Gary has also drawn the illustrations in Redwall and related books, The Prince of Shadows gamebook series, and several books which he also authored. Gary continues to enjoy war gaming and works as an illustrator and model maker. He maintains a website with examples of his work.
Internet Edition published by Project Aon. This edition is intended to reflect the complete text of the original version. Where we have made minor corrections, they will be noted in the Errata.
Publication Date: 11 May 2007
Text copyright © 1984 Joe Dever.
Illustrations copyright © 1984 Gary Chalk.
Distribution of this Internet Edition is restricted under the terms of the Project Aon License.
To Mel and Yin
‘I would be especially pleased if my granting of the rights to distribute my books in this way was seen as my “millennium gift” to all those devoted readers who have kept the Kai flag flying high, through all the good times, and the not-so-good. It would make me very proud indeed if this enterprise laid the foundations of a lasting legacy, securing the longevity of Lone Wolf by making my creation freely and readily accessible to current and future online generations. For them, for us, for Sommerlund and the Kai. …’ Joe Dever
Project Aon would first like to thank Joe Dever for making this generous offering of the books that we have all loved from the beginning. We would also like to acknowledge the following members of Project Aon for their diligent work:
In the northern land of Sommerlund, it has been the custom for many centuries to send the children of the Warrior Lords to the monastery of Kai. There they are taught the skills and disciplines of their noble fathers.
The Kai monks are masters of their art, and the children in their charge love and respect them in spite of the hardships of their training. For one day when they have finally learnt the secret skills of the Kai, they will return to their homes equipped in mind and body to defend themselves against the constant threat of war from the Darklords of the west.
In olden times, during the Age of the Black Moon, the Darklords waged war on Sommerlund. The conflict was a long and bitter trial of strength that ended in victory for the Sommlending at the great battle of Maakengorge. King Ulnar and the allies of Durenor broke the Darklord armies at the pass of Moytura and forced them back into the bottomless abyss of Maakengorge. Vashna, mightiest of the Darklords, was slain upon the sword of King Ulnar, called ‘Sommerswerd’, the sword of the sun. Since that age, the Darklords have vowed vengeance upon Sommerlund and the House of Ulnar.
Now it is in the morning of the feast of Fehmarn, when all of the Kai Lords are present at the monastery for the celebrations. Suddenly a great black cloud comes from out of the western skies. So many are the numbers of the black-winged beasts that fill the sky, that the sun is completely hidden. The Darklords, ancient enemy of the Sommlending are attacking. War has begun.
On this fateful morning, you, Silent Wolf (the name given to you by the Kai) have been sent to collect firewood in the forest as a punishment for your inattention in class. As you are preparing to return, you see to your horror a vast cloud of black leathery creatures swoop down and engulf the monastery.
Dropping the wood, you race to the battle that has already begun. But in the unnatural dark, you stumble and strike your head on a low tree branch. As you lose consciousness, the last thing that you see in the poor light are the walls of the monastery crashing to the ground.
Many hours pass before you awake. With tears in your eyes you now survey the scene of destruction. Raising your face to the clear sky, you swear vengeance on the Darklords for the massacre of the Kai warriors, and with a sudden flash of realization you know what you must do. You must set off on a perilous journey to the capital city to warn the King of the terrible threat that now faces his people. For you are now the last of the Kai—you are now the Lone Wolf.
You keep a record of your adventure on the Action Chart.
During your training as a Kai Lord you have developed fighting prowess—COMBAT SKILL and physical stamina—ENDURANCE. Before you set off on your adventure you need to measure how effective your training has been. To do this take a pencil and, with your eyes closed, point with the blunt end of it on to the Random Number Table. If you pick 0 it counts as zero.
The first number that you pick from the Random Number Table in this way represents your COMBAT SKILL. Add 10 to the number you picked and write the total in the COMBAT SKILL section of your Action Chart. (i.e. if your pencil fell on the number 4 in the Random Number Table you would write in a COMBAT SKILL Of 14.) When you fight, your COMBAT SKILL will be pitted against that of your enemy. A high score in this section is therefore very desirable.
The second number that you pick from the Random Number Table represents your powers of ENDURANCE. Add 20 to this number and write the total in the ENDURANCE section of your Action Chart. (i.e. if your pencil fell on the number 6 on the Random Number Table you would have 26 ENDURANCE points.)
If you are wounded in combat you will lose ENDURANCE points. If at any time your ENDURANCE points fall to zero or below, you are dead and the adventure is over. Lost ENDURANCE points can be regained during the course of the adventure, but your number of ENDURANCE points can never go above the number with which you start your adventure.
Over the centuries, the Kai monks have mastered the skills of the warrior. These skills are known as the Kai Disciplines, and they are taught to all Kai Lords. You have learnt only five of the skills listed below. The choice of which five skills these are, is for you to make. As all of the Disciplines will be of use to you at some point on your perilous quest, pick your five with care. The correct use of a Discipline at the right time can save your life.
When you have chosen your five Disciplines, enter them in the Kai Disciplines section of your Action Chart.
This Discipline enables a Kai Lord to blend in with his surroundings. In the countryside, he can hide undetected among trees and rocks and pass close to an enemy without being seen. In a town or city, it enables him to look and sound like a native of that area, and can help him to find shelter or a safe hiding place.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Camouflage’ on your Action Chart.
This skill ensures that a Kai Lord will never starve in the wild. He will always be able to hunt for food for himself except in areas of wasteland and desert. The skill also enables a Kai Lord to be able to move stealthily when stalking his prey.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Hunting: no need for a Meal when instructed to eat’ on your Action Chart.
This skill may warn a Kai Lord of imminent danger. It may also reveal the true purpose of a stranger or strange object encountered in your adventure.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Sixth Sense’ on your Action Chart.
This skill enables a Kai Lord to make the correct choice of a path in the wild, to discover the location of a person or object in a town or city and to read the secrets of footprints or tracks.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Tracking’ on your Action Chart.
This Discipline can be used to restore ENDURANCE points lost in combat. If you possess this skill you may restore 1 ENDURANCE point to your total for every numbered section of the book you pass through in which you are not involved in combat. (This is only to be used after your ENDURANCE has fallen below its original level.) Remember that your ENDURANCE cannot rise above its original level.
If you choose this skill write ‘Healing: +1 ENDURANCE point for each section without combat’ on your Action Chart.
Upon entering the Kai monastery, each initiate is taught to master one type of weapon. If Weaponskill is to be one of your Kai Disciplines, pick a number in the usual way from the Random Number Table, and then find the corresponding weapon from the list below. This is the weapon in which you have skill. When you enter combat carrying this weapon, you add 2 points to your COMBAT SKILL.
The fact that you are skilled with a weapon does not mean you set out on the adventure carrying that particular weapon. However, you will have opportunities to acquire weapons in the course of your adventures. If you pick the axe, you are lucky enough to be skilled in the one weapon Lone Wolf is carrying from the start of the adventure. (Explained fully in the Equipment section.)
You cannot carry more than 2 weapons. If you choose this skill, write ‘Weaponskill in _______ +2 COMBAT SKILL points if this weapon carried’ on your Action Chart.
The Darklords and many of the evil creatures in their command have the ability to attack you using their Mindforce. The Kai Discipline of Mindshield prevents you from losing any ENDURANCE points when subjected to this form of attack.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Mindshield: no points lost when attacked by Mindblast’ on your Action Chart.
This enables a Kai Lord to attack an enemy using the force of his mind. It can be used at the same time as normal combat weapons and adds two extra points to your COMBAT SKILL. Not all the creatures encountered on this adventure will be harmed by Mindblast. You will be told if a creature is immune.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Mindblast: +2 COMBAT SKILL points’ on your Action Chart.
This skill enables a Kai Lord to communicate with some animals and to be able to guess the intentions of others.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Animal Kinship’ on your Action Chart.
Mastery of this Discipline enables a Kai Lord to move small objects with his powers of concentration.
If you choose this skill, write ‘Mind Over Matter’ on your Action Chart.
If you successfully complete the mission as set in Book 1 of Lone Wolf, you may add a further Kai Discipline of your choice to your Action Chart in Book 2. This additional skill, together with your five other skills and any Special Items that you have picked up in Book 1, may then be used in the next adventure of the Lone Wolf series which is called Fire on the Water.
You are dressed in the green tunic and cloak of a Kai initiate. You have little with you to arm yourself for survival.
All you possess is an Axe (note under Weapons on your Action Chart) and a Backpack containing 1 Meal (note under Meals on your Action Chart). Hanging from your waist is a leather pouch containing Gold Crowns. To find out how many, pick a number from the Random Number Table. This number equals the number of Gold Crowns you possess at the start of the adventure. (Note the number in the Belt Pouch section of the Action Chart.)
You discover amongst the smoking ruins of the monastery, a Map of Sommerlund (note under Special Items on the Action Chart) showing the capital city of Holmgard and the land of Durenor, far to the east. You place the Map inside your tunic for safety.
You also find one of the following:
To discover which of the above you find, you must pick a number from the Random Number Table and find the corresponding article on the list. Note this on your Action Chart, under the heading given in brackets, and make a note of any effect it may have on your ENDURANCE points.
Now that you have your equipment, the following list shows you how it is carried. You don't need to make notes but you can refer back to this list in the course of your adventure.
Any item that may be of use and can be picked up on your adventure and entered on your Action Chart is given capital letters in the text. Unless you are told it is a Special Item, carry it in your Backpack.
There will be occasions on your adventure when you have to fight an enemy. The enemy's COMBAT SKILL and ENDURANCE points are given in the text. Lone Wolf's aim in the combat is to kill the enemy by reducing his ENDURANCE points to zero while losing as few ENDURANCE points as possible himself.
At the start of a combat, enter Lone Wolf's and the enemy's ENDURANCE points in the appropriate boxes on the Combat Record section of your Action Chart.
The sequence for combat is as follows.
This process of combat continues until the ENDURANCE points of either the enemy or Lone Wolf are reduced to zero, at which point the one with the zero score is declared dead. If Lone Wolf is dead, the adventure is over. If the enemy is dead, Lone Wolf proceeds but with his ENDURANCE points reduced.
A summary of Combat Rules appears in the back of this book.
During your adventure you may be given the chance to evade combat. If you have already engaged in a round of combat and decide to evade, calculate the combat for that round in the usual manner. All points lost by the enemy as a result of that round are ignored, and you make your escape. Only Lone Wolf may lose ENDURANCE points during that round, but then that is the risk of running away! You may only evade if the text of the particular section allows you to do so.
The following table is a guide to the rank and titles that are bestowed upon Kai Lords at each stage of their training. As you successfully complete each adventure in the Lone Wolf series, you will gain an additional Kai Discipline and gradually progress towards mastery of the ten basic Kai Disciplines.
Beyond the ten basic skills of the Kai Master await the secrets of the higher Kai Disciplines or ‘Magnakai’. By acquiring the wisdom of the Magnakai, a Kai Lord can progress towards the ultimate achievement and become a Kai Grand Master.
Your mission will be one of great danger, for the Darklords and their servants are a cruel and fierce enemy who give and expect no mercy. Use the map to help you steer a correct course for the capital. Make notes as you progress through the story, for they will be of great help in future adventures.
Many things that you find will aid you during the adventure. Some Special Items will be of use in future Lone Wolf adventures and others may be red herrings of no real use at all, so be selective in what you decide to keep.
There are many routes to the King, but only one involves a minimum of danger. With a wise choice of Kai Disciplines and a great deal of courage, any player should be able to complete the mission, no matter how weak their initial COMBAT SKILL or ENDURANCE points score.
The honour and memory of the Kai Lords will go with you on your perilous journey.
Good luck!
You must make haste for you sense it is not safe to linger by the smoking remains of the ruined monastery. The black-winged beasts could return at any moment. You must set out for the Sommlending capital of Holmgard and tell the King the terrible news of the massacre: that the whole élite of Kai warriors, save yourself, have been slaughtered. Without the Kai Lords to lead her armies, Sommerlund will be at the mercy of their ancient enemy, the Darklords.
Fighting back tears, you bid farewell to your dead kinsmen. Silently, you promise that their deaths will be avenged. You turn away from the ruins and carefully descend the steep track.
At the foot of the hill, the path splits into two directions, both leading into a large wood.
If you wish to use your Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 141.
If you wish to take the right path into the wood, turn to 85.
If you wish to follow the left track, turn to 275.
As you dash through the thickening trees, the shouts of the Giaks begin to fade behind you. You have nearly outdistanced them completely, when you crash headlong into a tangle of low branches.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If you have picked a number 0–4, turn to 343.
If you have picked a number 5–9, turn to 276.
Staying close to the officer, you follow him through an arched portal and up a short flight of stairs to a long hall. Soldiers run back and forth bearing orders on ornate scrolls to officers stationed around the city wall.
A haggard and scar-faced man dressed in the white and purple robes of the King's court approaches you and bids you follow him to the citadel.
If you wish to follow this man, turn to 196.
If you wish to decline his offer and return to the crowded streets, turn to 144.
It is a small one-man canoe in very poor condition. The wood has split and warped, and the craft appears to be leaking in several places. You quickly patch up the worst of the holes with some clay and bail out the water. This seems to stop the leaking for the moment. Stowing your equipment at the bow, you set off downstream, using a piece of driftwood as a paddle.
After a short while, you hear the sound of horses galloping towards you along the left bank.
If you wish to use the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 218.
If you wish to hide in the bottom of the canoe, turn to 75.
If you wish to try to attract their attention, turn to 175.
After about an hour of walking, the track slowly bears round to the east. You reach a shallow ford where a fast-flowing brook runs on a steep rocky course towards the south. Just beyond the ford is a junction where the track meets a wider path running north to south. Realizing that the north path will take you away from the capital, you turn right at the junction and head south.
In the distance you can hear the sound of horses galloping nearer. You crouch behind a tree and wait as the riders come closer. They are the cavalry of the King's Guard wearing the white uniforms of His Majesty's army.
If you wish to call them, turn to 183.
If you wish to let them pass and then continue on your way through the forest, turn to 200.
For what seems an eternity, the rush of the crowd carries you along like a leaf on a fast-flowing stream. You desperately fight to stay on your feet, but you feel weak and dizzy from your ordeal, and your legs are as heavy as lead. Suddenly, you catch a glimpse of a long, narrow stone stairway that leads up to the roof of an inn.
Gathering the last reserves of your strength, you dive for the stairs and climb slowly up to the top. From here you can see the magnificent view of the rooftops and spires of Holmgard, with the high stone walls of the citadel gleaming in the sun.
The houses and buildings of the capital are built very close to each other, and it is possible to jump from one roof to the next. In fact many of the citizens of Holmgard used to use the ‘Roofways’ (as they are known) when the heavy autumn rains made the unpaved parts of the streets too muddy for walking. But after many accidents, a royal decree forbade their use.
After careful thought, you decide to use the ‘Roofways’, as they are your only chance of reaching the King. You have hopped, skipped and jumped across several streets and you are only one street away from the citadel when you come to the end of a row of rooftops.
The jump to the next row is much further than anything you have tried before, and your stomach begins to feel as if it were full of butterflies. Determined to reach the citadel, you turn and take a long run-up to the jump. With blood pounding in your ears, you sprint to the edge of the roof and leap into space, your eyes fixed on the opposite rooftop.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If you have picked a number that is 0–2, turn to 108.
If the number if 3–9, turn to 25.
Your Kai Sixth Sense warns there is a fierce battle raging in the south. Your common sense tells you that the south is also the quickest route to the capital.
Turn to 70 and choose your route.
You cannot move: you are being held rigid by some powerful force. Your eyes are drawn towards the mouth of the skeleton. From deep in the earth you hear a low humming, like the sound of millions of angry bees. A dull red glow appears in the empty eye sockets of the dead King and the humming increases until your ears are filled with the deafening roar. You are in the presence of an ancient evil, far older and stronger than the Darklords themselves.
If you possess a Vordak Gem, turn to 236.
If you do not, turn to 292.
You are sweating and your legs ache. In the middle distance you can see a group of cottages.
If you wish to enter a cottage and rest for a while, turn to 115.
If you wish to press on, turn to 83.
You quickly dodge into the doorway of a stable and hide your surgeon's cloak in the straw, for it would be better to be seen as a Kai Lord than as a charlatan.
Without wasting a second, you set off towards the Great Hall on the other side of the courtyard.
The bodyguard looks at you with great suspicion and then slams the door shut. You can hear the sound of voices inside the caravan. Suddenly the door swings open and the face of a wealthy merchant appears.
He demands 10 Gold Crowns as payment for the ride.
If you have 10 Gold Crowns and wish to pay him, turn to 262.
If you do not have enough Gold Crowns or do not wish to pay him, turn to 247.
The path soon ends at a large clearing. In the centre of the clearing is a tree much taller and wider than any others you have seen in the forest.
Looking up through the massive branches you can see a large treehouse some twenty-five to thirty feet above the ground. There is no ladder, but the gnarled bark of the tree offers many footholds.
If you wish to climb the tree and search the treehouse, turn to 307.
If you would rather press on, turn to 213.
You reach the top of a small wooded hill on which several large boulders form a rough circle. Suddenly you hear a loud growl from behind a rock to your left.
If you wish to draw your weapon and prepare to fight, turn to 43.
If you would rather take evasive action by running as fast as you can over the hill, turn to 106.
You pass through a long, dark tunnel of overhanging branches that eventually opens out into a large clearing. On a stone plinth in the centre of the clearing is a Sword, sheathed in a black leather scabbard. A handwritten note has been tied to the hilt, but it is in a language which is foreign to you.
You may take the Sword if you wish, and note it on your Action Chart.
There are three exits from the clearing.
If you decide to go east, turn to 207.
If you decide to go west, turn to 201.
If you decide to go south, turn to 35.
You manage to free a horse from the straps securing it to the caravan. It is frightened by the scent of the approaching Doomwolves, and the cries of their evil riders—the Giaks.
Preparing your weapon, you spur your skittish horse towards the oncoming beasts. They are less than fifty yards away and they are lowering their lances at you as they get nearer and nearer.
You are charging head-on towards each other. Turn to 192.
You raise your weapon to strike at the beast as its razor-fanged mouth snaps shut just inches from your head. Buffeted by the beating of its wings you find it difficult to stand.
Deduct 1 point from your COMBAT SKILL and fight the Kraan.
Kraan: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 24
If you kill the creature, you quickly descend the far side of the hill to avoid the Giaks.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If you pick 0, turn to 53.
If you pick 1–2, turn to 274.
If you pick 3–9, turn to 316.
You are awoken by the sound of troops in the distance. Across the lake you see the black-cloaked figures of Drakkarim and a pack of Doomwolves and their riders. A Kraan appears from above the trees and lands on the roof of the small wooden shack.
It is ridden by a creature dressed in red. The Kraan takes off and begins to fly across the lake to where you are hidden.
If you wish to use the Kai Discipline of Camouflage, turn to 114.
If you wish to ride deeper in the forest, turn to 239.
If you wish to fight the creature, turn to 29.
Just ahead through the tall trees you can see clumps of dark-red gallowbrush, a thorny briar with sharp crimson barbs. The common name for this forest weed is ‘Sleeptooth’, for the thorns are very sharp and can make you feel weak and sleepy if they scratch your skin.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Tracking, turn to 69.
You can avoid the Sleeptooth by returning to the track. Turn to 272.
Or you can push on through the briars, deeper into the forest, by turning to 119.
It seems that whoever lived here left in a great hurry—and they must have left quite recently. A half-eaten meal still remains on the table, and a mug of dark jala is still warm to the touch.
Searching a chest and small wardrobe, you find a Backpack, food (enough for two Meals), and a Dagger.
If you wish to take these items, remember to mark them on your Action Chart. You continue your mission.
You have ridden about two miles into the tangle of trees when the ground becomes very marshy.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If it is below 5, your horse has suddenly plunged into thick mud up to its belly. If the number is 5 or above, you manage to steer clear of the morass and may now turn to 189.
If you are stuck, pick another number from the Random Number Table. If this time the number is 7 or less, the mud engulfs you up to your armpits. Your horse gives one last despairing scream as its muzzle disappears into the bubbling mud. If you scored above 7, you drag yourself on to firm ground and turn to 189.
If not, then this is your last chance! If you pick any number except a 9, the foul-smelling bog sucks you under and claims another victim. Your life and your mission end here. But if you have picked a 9, turn to 312.
Knocking aside the leader, you sprint off along the highway. Then behind you the ominous click of a crossbow being cocked sends a shiver down your spine.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If you have picked a number 0–4, turn to 181.
If you have picked a number 5–9, turn to 145.
The corridor soon widens into a large hall. At the far end, a stone staircase leads up to a huge door. Two black candles on either side of the stone steps dimly illuminate the chamber. You notice that no wax has melted, and as you get nearer you can feel that they give off no heat. Ancient engravings cover the stone surfaces of the walls.
Anxious to leave this evil tomb, you examine the door for a latch. An ornate pin appears to lock the door, but there is also a keyhole in the lockplate.
If you have a Golden Key and wish to use it, turn to 326.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter, turn to 151.
If you wish to remove the pin, turn to 337.
The merchant shouts to the driver of the caravan to jump. ‘We're under attack!’ he cries, disappearing through a circular window.
If you decide to jump after him, turn to 234.
If you decide to run through the caravan and grab the reins of the horse team, turn to 184.
You land with such a crash on the opposite roof, that the wind is knocked out of you and you lie flat on your back with your head in a spin.
It takes a minute or so for you to realize that you've made it and are perfectly safe. When you are sure you are all right, you jump up and let out a shout for joy at your skill and daring.
Quickly you find a way across the roof and climb down a long drainpipe to the street below. You see the large iron doors of the citadel open, and a wagon drawn by two large horses tries to leave. The horses are frightened by the noisy crowd and they both rear up, causing the wagon to smash a front wheel against the door. In the confusion, you see a chance to enter and quickly slip inside just as the guards slam the doors shut.
Cautiously, you move along the corridor until you come to a sharp eastward turn. A strange greenish light can be seen in the distance.
If you wish to continue, turn to 249.
If you wish to go back and try the southern route, turn to 100.
You walk along this path for over an hour, carefully watching the sky above you in case the Kraan attack again. Up ahead, a large tree has fallen across the path. As you approach, you can hear voices coming from the other side of the massive trunk.
If you choose to attack, turn to 250.
If you choose to listen to what the voices say, turn to 52.
After a few hundred yards, the path joins another one running north to south.
If you wish to go northwards, turn to 130.
If you wish to head south, turn to 147.
You stride out to the water's edge and prepare yourself for combat. The Kraan and its rider spot you and begin to speed across the lake barely inches above the surface.
The rider lets out a scream that freezes your blood. He is a Vordak, a fierce lieutenant of the Darklords.
He is upon you and you must fight him. Deduct 2 points from your COMBAT SKILL unless you have the Kai Discipline of Mindshield, for the creature is attacking you with its Mindforce as well as with a huge black mace.
Vordak: COMBAT SKILL 17 ENDURANCE 25
If you win the fight, turn to 270.
The people look tired and hungry. They have come many miles from their burning city. Suddenly, you hear the beat of huge wings coming from the north.
‘Kraan, Kraan! Hide yourselves!’ the cry goes up all along the road.
Just in front of you, a wagon carrying small children breaks down, its right wheel jammed in a furrow. The children scream in panic.
If you wish to help the children, turn to 194.
If you'd rather run for the cover of the trees, turn to 261.
You try to comfort the injured man as best you can, but his wounds are serious and he is soon unconscious again. Covering him with his cape, you turn and press deeper into the forest.
You have ridden about three miles when, in the distance, you spot the unmistakable silhouette of five large Doomwolves. Riding on their backs are Giaks. They seem to be going on ahead to where the path leads down into an open meadow. Suddenly, one of the Giaks leaves the others and begins to ride back along the path towards you.
If you wish to hide in the undergrowth and let him pass, turn to 176.
If you wish to fight him, turn to 340.
The floor of the cave is quite dry and dusty. As you explore deeper in the half-light, you detect the stale odour of rotting flesh. Littering a crevice are the bones, fur and teeth of several small animals. You notice a small cloth bag among these remains which you open to discover 3 Gold Crowns. Pocketing these coins, you leave what appears to be the lair of a mountain cat and carefully descend the hill.
Without warning, a terrible apparition in red robes swoops down from the sky on the back of a Kraan. Its cry freezes your blood. The beast is a Vordak, a fierce lieutenant of the Darklords.
He is above you and you must fight him.
Deduct 2 points from your COMBAT SKILL unless you have the Kai Discipline of Mindshield, for the creature is attacking you with the power of its Mindforce as well as with a huge black mace.
Vordak: COMBAT SKILL 17 ENDURANCE 25
If you win, turn to 328.
The forest is becoming denser, and the path more tangled with thorny briars. Almost completely hidden by the undergrowth, you notice another path branching off towards the east. Your current route seems to be coming to a prickly end, so you decide to follow the new path eastwards.
The old watchtower ladder is rotten and several rungs break as you climb. Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number is 4 or lower, you have fallen. Lose 2 ENDURANCE points and turn to 140.
If the number is 5 or higher, you do not fall. Turn to 323.
You are feeling tired and hungry and you must stop to eat. After your Meal, you retrace your steps back to the citadel and begin to walk around the high, indomitable stone wall.
You discover another entrance on the eastern side, guarded as before by two armoured soldiers.
If you wish to use the Kai Discipline of Camouflage, turn to 282.
If you wish to approach them and tell your story, turn to 289.
For half an hour or more you press on through the forest, through the rich vegetation and ferns. You happen upon a small clear stream where you stop for a few minutes to wash your face and drink of the cold, fresh water.
Feeling revitalized, you cross the stream and press on. You soon notice the smell of wood smoke which seems to be drifting towards you from the north.
If you wish to investigate the smell of wood smoke, turn to 128.
If you would rather avoid the source of this smoke, turn to 347.
After a few seconds, two small furry faces nervously appear over the top of the trunk. They say they are Kakarmi and tell you that the Kraan are everywhere. To the west lie the remains of their village but little is left of it now. They are trying to find the rest of their tribe who took to the forest when the ‘Black-wings’ attacked. They point behind them—east along the path—and tell you that the trail appears to be a dead end, but that if you continue through the undergrowth for a few yards more, you will find a watchtower where the path splits into three directions. Take the east path. This leads to the King's highway between the capital city—Holmgard—and the northern port of Toran.
You thank the Kakarmi, and bid them farewell.
Keeping a careful watch on the huts for any sign of the enemy, you make your way around the clearing under the cover of the trees and bracken. Rejoining the track, you hurry away from Fogwood.
Three rangers gallop past the river bank, closely followed by the Giaks on their snarling Doomwolves.
The bank is steep and you are spotted by the Giak leader who orders five of his troops to open fire at you with their bows. Their black arrows rain down on you.
If you decide to paddle downstream as fast as you can, turn to 174.
If you decide to head for the cover of the trees on the opposite bank, turn to 116.
You follow the track for nearly an hour when you come to a crossroads.
If you wish to continue east, turn to 86.
If you would rather head north, turn to 238.
If you decide to venture south, turn to 157.
Or if you prefer to go west, turn to 147.
From behind the rock a huge black bear comes into view. It advances slowly towards you, its mouth open and its face lined in anger and pain.
You notice that it is badly wounded and is bleeding from its neck and back. You must fight it.
Black Bear: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 10
If you win, turn to 195.
After three rounds of combat, you position yourself so that you can run down the hill. If you wish to evade at this time then turn to 106 and chance being wounded as you flee.
Without warning, the old track ends abruptly at the edge of a steep slope. The ground here is very loose and unstable. You lose your footing and fall headlong over the edge.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If you have picked a number that is 0–4, turn to 277.
If the number is 5–9, turn to 338.
These men are not what they seem. The tunic of the leader is genuine but it is heavily bloodstained around the collar, as if its true owner had been murdered. Their weapons are not army issue, but expensive and lavishly decorated like the weapons made by the armourers of Durenor.
The leader has a crossbow slung over his pack. An attempt to run would be suicide. You decide that you must fight them or you will surely be murdered as soon as you drop your weapon.
You have covered about two miles when the trees ahead thin out. You can see a small wooden shack on the edge of a lake. A cloaked man approaches you and offers to row you and your horse across the lake for a fee of 2 Gold Crowns.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 296.
If you accept the offer, turn to 246.
If you refuse and try to ride around the lake, turn to 90.
Breathless and sweating, you claw your way towards the summit of the hill. Suddenly, a large winged shadow passes across the hillside. You look up to see a Kraan circling the peak above. Behind you the Giaks are gaining ground.
Do you stand and fight the Giaks where you are, using the high ground to your advantage? If so, turn to 136.
Or do you grit your teeth and press on towards the peak of the hill? Turn to 322.
Your Sixth Sense warns you that these troops are not all they seem. You can detect an aura of evil about them. They are in the service of the Darklords.
You must leave here quickly before you are spotted. Turn to 243.
As you begin to read the inscription, you notice a shadow moving towards you from behind the screen.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If you have chosen a number that is 0–4, turn to 339.
If the number is 5–9, turn to 60.
The sound of fighting can be heard in the distance.
If you wish to continue towards the sound of battle, turn to 97.
If you wish to avoid the fighting, change direction and turn to 243.
You climb the wooded bank of the river and see the log walls of the fieldworks disappearing into the distance.
A battle rages about two miles away and the log wall has collapsed in several places where the Darklords are attacking.
Most of the fieldworks ahead are unmanned, the soldiers having left to supply reinforcements for the raging battle.
There is a gate in the log wall. If you wish to approach it, turn to 288.
If you would prefer to climb over the wall instead, turn to 221.
Now that you are closer, you can make out that the voices are not human. The sound is more like a kind of grunting and squeaking.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Animal Kinship, turn to 225.
If not, you must climb over the tree and face whatever lurks on the other side. Turn to 250.
A searing pain tears through your right leg as it is twisted and crushed by the weight of your body. Down and down you tumble, until you finally land in a ditch at the base of the hill with such force that the wind is knocked out of you and you lose consciousness.
You are awoken by the sharp pain of something stabbing your chest. It proves to be the tip of a Giak spear. You are greeted by the malicious sneer of its owner as he pins your left arm to the ground. Instinctively you reach for your weapon but it is no longer there.
Defenceless against the cruel Giaks, the last thing that you see before all light fades is the jagged point of a Giak lance hurtling down towards your throat.
Your mission ends here.
It would seem that the heavens have not heard your prayers. A spear whistles past your head and embeds itself in the neck of your galloping horse. With a shriek of pain, the horse topples forward and you both roll in a tangled heap on the highway.
Dazed and pinned down by the weight of the dead body of your horse, the last thing you remember are the sharp penetrating spearheads of the Giak lances.
You have failed in your mission.
Just as the Giak makes his leap, you race forward and strike out with your weapon—knocking the creature away from the young wizard's back.
You jump onto the struggling Giak and strike again. Due to the surprise of your attack, add 4 points to your COMBAT SKILL for the duration of this fight but remember to deduct it again as soon as the fight is over.
Giak: COMBAT SKILL 9 ENDURANCE 9
If you win, turn to 325.
You hear the scream of a large winged beast above the trees. It is a Kraan, a deadly servant of the Darklords. Quickly you hide beneath the thick fronds of fern until the horrible shrieks have passed away.
Now turn to 222.
The cabin has only one room. In it you see a wooden table and two benches, a large bed made of straw bales lashed together, several bottles of coloured liquids and an embroidered rug in the centre of the floor.
If you choose to take a closer look at the bottles, turn to 164.
If you choose to pull back the rug, turn to 109.
If you choose to leave the room and investigate the stable, turn to 308.
Bracing yourself for the run, you head off down the ridge at a steady pace. To the west, the army of the Darklords looks like a giant pot of black ink that has been spilled between the mountains and is spreading into the land below.
You have been running for twenty minutes when you catch sight of a pack of Doomwolves lining a shallow ridge to your right.
If you decide to flatten yourself against the rocks along the side of the road and wait until they pass, turn to 251.
If you decide to carry on running, but draw your weapon just in case they attack, turn to 160.
Peering into the darkness, you notice that rough stairs have been cut into the earth and that the mouth of the cave is in fact the entrance to a tunnel.
Carefully descending the slippery stairway, you notice a small silver box on a shelf at the bottom of the staircase.
If you want to open the silver box, turn to 124.
If you wish to return to the surface and press on, turn to 106.
If you wish to investigate the tunnel further, turn to 211.
The last thing you remember before darkness engulfs you is the flash of a long curved steel knife. You have become yet another victim of the Sage and his robber son—the very one who has just slit your throat!
Your quest ends here.
At last you can reach the wooden fieldworks surrounding the outer city. As you race towards a sentry post, you can hear the excited shouts of the guards cheering you on. Thank the gods that they recognize you, for you must appear a ragged and suspicious figure. Your cloak is torn and hangs in tatters, your face is scratched and blood-smeared and the dust of the Graveyard covers you from head to toe.
Splashing through a shallow stream, you stagger towards the gate. The full horror of the Graveyard encounter begins to catch up with you. The last thing you recall before exhaustion robs you of consciousness, is falling into the outstretched arms of two soldiers who have run from the fieldworks to help you.
The ‘soldiers’ lie dead at your feet. They were bandits who were stealing from the refugees of Toran, and from the abandoned houses and farms in the area.
Searching their bodies you find 28 Gold Crowns and two Backpacks containing enough food for 3 Meals. They had been armed with a crossbow and three Swords. The crossbow has been damaged in the fight, but the Swords are untouched and you may keep one if you wish.
You adjust your equipment, give a cautious glance towards the west and continue your run towards the outer defences of the capital.
The wild old man is screaming at you. He blames you for the war and curses the Kai Lords as agents of the Darklords. He will not listen to reason and you must fight him.
Madman: COMBAT SKILL 11 ENDURANCE 10
If you win, turn to 269.
You are awoken by the cries of a Kraan circling above the caravan. It is early morning and the sky is clear and bright. You can see a pack of Doomwolves less than a quarter of a mile away along the highway ahead. They are preparing to attack. You must act quickly.
If you decide to gather your equipment and run for the cover of the trees, turn to 188.
If you decide to cut free one of the horses and try to break through the attacking Doomwolves to the clear road beyond, then turn to 16.
Your senses scream at you that this place is very evil. Leave as quickly as you can.
Startled, you turn around to see a burly sergeant and two soldiers running towards you, their swords drawn as if to strike.
You prepare to defend yourself for it looks as if they are about to attack first and ask questions later; but suddenly the sergeant calls his men to a halt. He has recognized your cloak. They put away their weapons and apologize many times for their mistake. The sergeant orders one of the men to fetch the captain of the Guard as he leads you to the doors of the Great Hall.
You are greeted by a tall and handsome warrior who listens intently to your story. When you have finished the account of your perilous journey to the capital, you notice a tear in the brave man's eye as he bids you to follow him. You walk through the splendid halls and corridors of the inner Palace. The richness and grandeur are a wonder to behold. You eventually arrive at a large carved door, guarded by two soldiers wearing silver armour.
You are about to meet the King.
Your Kai Discipline of Tracking reveals to you fresh paw prints leading off along the south path.
They are the prints of a black bear, an animal renowned for its ferocity. You decide the east path would be a much safer route.
After a short walk, you reach a junction where a path crosses your present route heading from west to east.
If you wish to turn west, go to 130.
If you wish to head east, turn to 15.
You are very near a friendly village.
Avoid the gallowbrush and turn to 272.
You have reached a small bridge. A track follows the stream towards the east. A much narrower path disappears into thick forest towards the south.
If you wish to use the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 8.
If you wish to go east, turn to 28.
If you wish to go south, turn to 157.
You are winded but not hurt. You have fallen fifteen feet or so through the roof of an underground tomb. The walls are sheer and you cannot climb them. An arched tunnel leads out of the tomb towards the east, in front of which lies the sarcophagus of some ancient noble.
If you wish to use the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 65.
If you wish to open the sarcophagus to see if it contains any treasure, turn to 242.
If you wish to leave via the tunnel, turn to 104.
You turn to face a sneering Giak and the razor-fanged jaws of its mount. You must fight them as one enemy.
Giak + Doomwolf: COMBAT SKILL 15 ENDURANCE 24
If you win, turn to 265.
Pulling your green cloak about you, you blend into the foliage and rocks. Peering carefully up at the track, you are shocked to see that they are not the King's men at all.
They are Drakkarim, some of the Darklords cruellest troops. They must have disguised themselves as soldiers of the King in order to get this far into the forest. Thanking your Kai training for saving your life, you silently slip away from the stream and push on into the forest.
The Kraan and its riders land on the track barely ten feet from where you are hidden.
The Giaks leap from the scaly backs of the Kraan and move towards you, their spears raised to strike. You have been seen.
If you decide to fight them, turn to 138.
If you decide to run deeper into the forest without delay, turn to 281.
Peering out carefully, you can see three green-clad men on horses racing along the bank. You recognize them as Border Rangers, the regiment of the King's Army that police the western borders. One of them is wounded and is slumped over the neck of his horse.
Close behind follow a pack of twenty Doomwolves. Their Giak riders are firing arrows at the rangers which fall all around them. One ranger drops from his horse and rolls down the river bank, a black arrow deeply embedded in his right leg.
If you wish to help the ranger, turn to 260.
If you wish to stay hidden and drift downstream, turn to 163.
The Gem feels very hot and burns your hand. Lose 2 ENDURANCE points. You quickly grab it with the edge of your cloak and slip it into the pocket of your jacket.1 A Gem that size must be worth hundreds of Crowns! You smile at your good fortune, mount your horse and ride off along the south track.
The Mountain Giaks are unaccustomed to pursuing their prey through forests and you soon outdistance them, until finally the sound of their grunts and curses disappears completely.
When you are satisfied that they have given up the chase, you stop for a few minutes to catch your breath and check your equipment. With the memory of your ruined monastery still blazing in your mind, you gather up your meagre belongings and push on.
As the caravan careers past, you leap for the tailboard and manage to hold fast. Pulling yourself upright, you find that you are standing on the bottom rung of a ladder leading to the rear door of the wagon. Suddenly the top half of the door flies open and you are confronted by the angry face of a bodyguard.
If you decide to inform him that you are a Kai Lord with an urgent message for the King, turn to 132.
If you decide to offer him Gold Crowns for safe passage to the capital, turn to 12.
If you decide to attack the guard with your weapon, turn to 220.
You come to a small footbridge across a fast-flowing stream. On the other side of the bridge the path turns south. You cross the bridge and follow the path.
You stumble backwards through the front door, clutching your burnt chest with both hands. Smoke is billowing from the shop and you must run—before the Sage or his robber son catch you.
You make it back to the main street and lose yourself in the rush of the crowds.
After nearly an hour, the Kraan and their cruel riders vanish towards the west. As the shocked refugees start to emerge from the woods, you can hear the sound of horses in the distance galloping nearer. You stay hidden and wait as the riders come closer. They are the cavalry of the King's Guard wearing the white uniforms of His Majesty's army.
If you wish to call to them, turn to 183.
If you would rather continue along the forest edge towards the south, turn to 200.
The giant Gourgaz lies dead at your feet. His evil followers hiss at you and then fall back from the bridge. The Prince's soldiers form a protective wall around you and their dying leader with their shields. Black arrows whistle past your head.
The dying Prince looks up into your eyes and says, ‘Kai Lord, you must take a message to my father. The enemy is too strong, we cannot hold him. The King must seek that which is in Durenor or all is lost. Take my horse and ride for the capital. May the luck of the gods ride with you.’
You bid a sad farewell to the Prince, mount his white steed and head south along the forest path. The battle still rages behind you as the Prince's men fight off another assault on the bridge.
You have run about a mile when three soldiers appear from beneath a small footbridge. They demand that you halt and drop your weapons and equipment.
They are bloodstained and unshaven. Their leader is wearing the tunic of a soldier of the Toran garrison.
If you possess the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 45.
If you wish to do as they say, turn to 205.
If you wish to prepare to fight them, turn to 180.
If you demand to know what they want, turn to 232.
Just as you feel the air beating on your back, you slip free of your horse and roll over—landing with a splash in a muddy ditch by the side of the highway.
You are uninjured, and you quickly scramble to your feet and make a dash for the cover of the trees—but with thirty yards left to run, you see the Kraan circling above for another dive.
The path is wide and leads straight into thick undergrowth. The trees are tall here and unusually quiet. You walk for over a mile when suddenly you hear the beating of large wings directly above you. Looking up, you are shocked to see the sinister black outline of a Kraan diving to attack you.
If you draw your weapon and prepare to fight, turn to 229.
If you evade the attack by running south, deeper into the forest, turn to 99.
You soon reach another crossroads.
If you wish to journey east, turn to 6.
If you wish to head north, turn to 35.
If you prefer to go south, turn to 167.
Or if you wish to turn west, turn to 42.
Focusing your powers on the lock, you try to visualize the inner mechanism. Gradually its image appears in your mind's eye. It is old and corroded but it still functions. You are in danger of losing your concentration when a subtle click confirms that your effort has not been in vain.
The pin is an easier task. Slowly it rises out of the lock and falls to the floor. The granite door swings towards you on hidden hinges and the grey half-light of the Graveyard floods into the tomb. The exit is overgrown with graveweed and you suffer many small cuts to your face and hands as you fight your way through to the surface. You are startled by a sudden noise. You turn to see the disembodied head of a corpse laughing at you.
In blind panic, you race through the eerie necropolis towards the southern gate.
You cautiously peer around the rock to see a soldier lying on his back. By his side is a Spear and shield. On the shield is the painting of a white pegasus—the Prince of Sommerlund's emblem. He is one of the Prince's soldiers, and he is only just conscious. His uniform is badly torn, and you can see that he has a deep wound in his left arm. As you move nearer, his eyes flicker open. ‘Heal me, my Lord,’ he begs. ‘I can barely feel my arm.’
If you possess and wish to use the Kai Discipline of Healing on this man, turn to 216.
If you do not possess the skill, or do not want to use it, then turn to 31.
In a cloud of dust and loose rocks you career down the steep hillside. The Kraan is still circling above as if waiting to direct the Giaks after you.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If you have picked 0–1, turn to 53.
If it is 2–4, turn to 274.
If it is 5–9, turn to 316.
Night falls and you are soon engulfed in total darkness. To press on would be useless, for you would be sure to lose your way. Tethering your horse to a tree, you pull your green Kai cloak about you and fall into a restless sleep.
The small shop is dark and musty. Books and bottles of every size and colour fill the many shelves. As you close the door, a small black dog begins to yap at you. A bald man appears from behind a large screen and bids you welcome. He politely enquires as to the nature of your visit and offers you a choice of his wares from the glass counter.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 198.
If you wish to look at his wares, turn to 152.
If you would rather decline his offer and return to the street, turn to 7.
You dive for cover not a moment too soon, for a hail of black arrows scream out of the woods and bombard the area where you were standing seconds before. Pulling your cloak around you to blend into the dense bracken, you dash through the forest and away from the hidden ambushers as fast as possible. This entire area is infested by Giaks and you must escape as quickly as you can. You run without rest for over an hour until you happen to fall upon a straight forest path heading towards the east. You follow the path, taking care to keep watch for signs of the enemy.
You turn and run for the stairs just as a large block falls with a crash behind you. The room you were in has been completely sealed off. As you escape into the daylight, you glimpse behind you the crooked figure of an old druid as he raises his staff. A second later, a bolt of lightning explodes at your feet. You do not stop but run headlong down the hill, cursing the delay but thankful for your Sixth Sense.
The Sage, seeing that you have killed his son, turns and runs from the shop by a back door.
You find 12 Gold Crowns in the robber's purse and another 4 Gold Crowns in a wooden box under the counter. Carefully examining the potions and the wand you soon realize that they are all cheap counterfeits. In fact the entire shop is full of imitations. You shake your head and return to the main street.
You soon stumble upon a narrow forest track running from north to south.
If you wish to set off along the track towards the north, turn to 240.
If you wish to go south instead, turn to 5.
Holding your breath, you tighten your grip on your weapon and prepare to strike. The tension is unbearable—the Giaks are so close that the foul stench of their unwashed bodies fills your nostrils. You hear them curse in their strange alien tongue and then leave the ledge and start to scramble towards the peak. When you are sure they have gone, you finally exhale and wipe the sweat from your eyes.
If you wish to explore the cave further, turn to 33.
If you wish to leave the cave and descend the hill in case the Giaks return, turn to 248.
Ahead of you, you can see a fierce battle raging across a stone bridge. The clash of steel and the cries of men and beasts echo through the forest. In the midst of the fighting, you see Prince Pelathar, the King's son. He is in combat with a large grey Gourgaz who is wielding a black axe above his scaly head. Suddenly, the Prince falls wounded—a black arrow in his side.
If you wish to defend the fallen Prince, turn to 255.
If you wish to run into the forest, turn to 306.
The guards seem to believe your story and bow with respect to your rank of Kai Lord. One of them pulls a concealed bell-rope and the huge doors start to swing open. They usher you inside and you hear the doors close behind you.
You dive into the undergrowth just as the beast screams past your head. You quickly look back to see the Kraan turning in the air in preparation for another dive. You scramble to your feet and run deeper into the safety of the forest.
The cold corridor suddenly makes an abrupt turning towards the east. You notice a greenish glow that lights the tunnel in the far distance. As you creep nearer you can see that the corridor opens out into a larger chamber.
The strange light seems to emanate from a large bowl resting upon the top of a granite throne. On a plinth in front of the throne stands a statue. It looks like a winged serpent curved in the shape of an ‘S’.
If you wish to sit on the throne, turn to 161.
If you wish to examine the statue, turn to 133.
If you wish to look for an exit from this chamber, turn to 257.
The noise of battle soon fades behind you but the ensuing silence is broken by a voice in your head that accuses you of being a coward, and deserting a fellow human in danger. You try to rid yourself of your nagging conscience by telling yourself that your mission is far more important, and that not only is the life of the young magician in peril but the lives of all your countrymen depend on you reaching the capital alive.
Suddenly, the sight of a Giak war party in the distance makes you quickly take cover and hide. But it is too late—they have spotted you and you must run as fast as you can.
As you descend the rocky slope towards the Graveyard of the Ancients, you are aware of a strange mist and cloud that swirls all around this grey and forbidding place, blocking the sun and covering the Graveyard in a perpetual gloom. A chill creeps forward to greet your approach.
With a feeling of deep dread, you enter the eerie necropolis.
The overgrown path leads to a junction where another track branches off towards the east.
If you wish to take this path, turn to 13.
If you would rather continue towards the northeast, turn to 287.
The walls are dank and slimy. The stale air chokes you and cobwebs brush across your face. You can feel panic grip your stomach, as the tunnel gets darker and darker.
You reach a junction where the tunnel meets a corridor leading from north to south.
If you wish to turn north, go to 26.
If you wish to go south, turn to 100.
In the distance, perched on the branch of an old oak tree is a jet-black raven.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Animal Kinship, you may call to this bird by turning to 298.
If you do not possess this skill or do not wish to use it, turn to 335.
Eventually you come to the edge of a fast-flowing icy stream. The white water cascades over the mossy rocks and disappears towards the east.
If you wish to follow the stream to the east, turn to 263.
If you would rather explore upstream, turn to 334.
Running across the room, you lash out at the skulls, smashing them to fragments. You notice that inside each skull is a bubbling grey jelly that seems to writhe and change its shape, sprouting bat-like wings and suckers from its glistening form. In horror and loathing, you race for the exit corridor and escape just as a heavy portcullis falls with a crash, completely sealing off the chamber.
You fly in an arc through the air towards the opposite roof. Everything seems to be happening in slow motion. You see the teeming crowds below in the street, and a nest of callysparrows in the eaves of a roof to your right. You hear their startled cries as you land with a crash on the other side. But it is the last sound that you will ever hear. The tiles splinter and collapse and you fall through the four floors of the ‘Green Slipper Inn’ breaking your back in several places.
Your mission and your life end here.
The only thing under the carpet is dirt!
You may take a closer look at the bottles by turning to 164.
Or you can leave the room and investigate the stable by turning to 308.
You quickly take aim and hurl the rock at the Giak's head as hard as you can, but to your horror the creature ducks and the rock arcs harmlessly over its back. You must act immediately to save the wizard.
Only a few minutes after leaving the junction, you see in the distance a small log cabin and stable. On arrival you check the interior through a side window. The cabin looks deserted.
If you wish to enter the cabin, turn to 57.
If you wish to search the stable, turn to 308.
Suddenly, the large rock you are hiding behind is rolled aside and you are faced by two snarling Giaks intent on your death. The cave mouth is a narrow entrance and you can only fight the Giaks one at a time.
Giak 1: COMBAT SKILL 13 ENDURANCE 10
Giak 2: COMBAT SKILL 12 ENDURANCE 10
If you win, you may explore the cave further by turning to 33.
Or you may leave and descend the hill. Turn to 248.
You have been walking for over half an hour when your eye is caught by some bright red flowers growing near to a mossy bank. You recognize the plants to be Laumspur, a rare and beautiful herb much prized for its healing properties.
Kneeling down, you pick a handful of Laumspur and place it in your Backpack. You may eat this herb to regain lost ENDURANCE points. Each Meal of Laumspur will restore 3 ENDURANCE points, and you have gathered enough for two such Meals.2 Closing your pack, you continue your mission.
If you wish to head northeast, turn to 347.
If you wish to head east, turn to 295.
You coax the horse to lie down and begin to cover him and yourself with branches and dead leaves. You hear the wings of the Kraan as it passes over the trees. It returns and circles above you, but soon retreats back across the lake.
You decide to leave now, in case it returns with some of its friends.
You stumble into the first building and fall to the floor exhausted. You can smell cooked meat. You notice a small cauldron hanging over the embers of a dying fire, and a large oak table that has been set for a meal. Whoever lived here must have left in a great hurry this very morning. There is water in a jug and a loaf of fresh bread on the table.
If you decide to take a quick Meal, turn to 150.
If you decide to search the building, turn to 177.
If you would rather leave now and continue your run, turn to 83.
As you climb out of the muddy water, black arrows fall all around you. Quickly, you dash for the cover of the trees and wait for the Giaks to leave the opposite bank, before continuing on foot towards the capital.
The man is badly injured and near to death. If you have the Kai Discipline of Healing, you may ease the pain of his wounds but he has been so seriously hurt he is beyond repair by your skills alone. He soon lapses into unconsciousness. You try to make him as comfortable as possible beneath a large forest oak, before leaving and pressing on through the thick woodland towards the northeast.
You spur your horse to a gallop and race down the long straight path. In the far distance you can just make out the silhouette of Holmgard on the horizon, its high walls and tall spires glinting in the morning sun. Your path joins a highway running from north to south. It is the main turnpike road between the northern port of Toran and the capital. You set off towards Holmgard, your eyes peeled for Kraan in the clear morning sky.
The gallowbrush tears your cloak and scratches deep into your arms and legs as you slowly force your way through. Fifteen minutes later you emerge from the briars and stagger onwards between the trees.
Deduct 2 ENDURANCE points from your current score for the wounds you have sustained.
You feel a little dizzy as you push on, and your eyelids seem very heavy. You suddenly find yourself at the edge of a steep wooded slope.
If you wish to slide down the slope as carefully as you can, turn to 226.
If you do not feel that you are up to the risk of this tricky descent in your present sleepy state, walk around the edge of the ridge by turning to 38.
Behind you can hear the blood-crazy Giaks killing the caravan horses. You risk a quick glance over your shoulder and see a Kraan start to climb high into the air. Will it attack you or is it interested in something else? The dark shadow that is gradually getting larger all around you tells you that you are its intended victim. The Kraan is diving full speed at you!
If you wait until it is about to strike, then jump from the saddle, turn to 84.
If you head as fast as you can for the trees, turn to 171.
If you put your head down, pray to the heavens for good luck and gallop on regardless, turn to 54.
After a few minutes walking you see a stranger, clad in red, standing in the centre of the track ahead. He has his back towards you, and his head is covered by the hood of his robes. Perched on his outstretched arm is the black raven that you saw earlier.
If you wish to call the stranger, turn to 342.
If you wish to approach the stranger cautiously, turn to 309.
If you would rather draw your weapon and attack, turn to 283.
Immediately the horse senses your communication. He calms down. You walk towards the beautiful animal and stroke his head reassuringly. You sense that he is frightened and confused. Mounting him, you lead him off to the path and head south once again.
As the creature dies, its body slowly dissolves into a vile green liquid. You notice that all of the grass and the plants beneath the smoking fluid are beginning to shrivel and die. A large valuable looking Gem lies on the ground near to the decaying body.
Further along the track you can see a large war party of Giaks running towards you.
If you wish to take the Gem, turn to 304.
If you would rather leave it and run, turn to 2.
Inside the box you find 15 Gold Crowns and a Silver Key. If you wish to keep the key, remember to mark it on your Action Chart.
You can continue to investigate the tunnel by turning to 211.
Or you may leave and descend the hill by turning to 106.
The path opens out into a large clearing. You notice strange claw prints in the earth. Kraan have landed here. By the number of prints and by the size of the area disturbed, you judge that at least five of the foul creatures landed here in the last twelve hours.
You see two exits on the far side of the clearing. One leads west, the other south.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Tracking, turn to 301.
If you wish to take the south path, turn to 27.
If you wish to take the west path, turn to 214.
You ride deeper and deeper into the forest. Silently you thank the Prince for such a fine horse, for although the ground is a tangle of briars and roots, he never once falters. The Doomwolves are soon left far behind and you bring your horse to a halt. The light has faded fast and it is almost night.
If you wish to press on ahead, turn to 46.
If you wish to bear left (the same direction as the path you left far behind) then turn to 143.
After an hour of marching, the Drakkarim suddenly halt as a large, grey scaly creature approaches along the track. As the beast draws closer, you can smell its fetid breath on your face. It lets out a roar and grabs your head in its powerful webbed hands. The last thing you hear is the sharp crack of your spine snapping.
Your quest ends here.
Carefully parting the dense foliage, you are horrified by the sight that meets you. In a small clearing ahead, three Giaks have tied a man to a wooden stake and are setting fire to a mass of brushwood bundled at his feet. You recognize his tunic as that of a Border Ranger, one of the King's men who police the kingdom near the Durncrag mountains of the west. He has been badly beaten and is nearly unconscious.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Hunting, turn to 297.
If you do not, you must attack the Giaks now in order to save the ranger's life. Turn to 336.
You reach the main gates of the capital, and stare in awe at the height of the city's walls. Two hundred feet high, the walls of Holmgard have withstood the ravages of both time and the Darklords. You and the officer race through the tunnel of the inner gatehouse, one hundred yards in length, and finally halt outside the doorway of the main watchtower. Great crowds of soldiers and civilians are running to and fro.
If you wish to continue following the officer, turn to 3.
If you feel that you stand a better chance of making your way to the King's citadel on your own, turn to 144.
You soon reach a small clearing in the woods. A bench, carved from a fallen tree is set in the centre of the clearing. You are hungry and must now eat a Meal here.
When you have finished, if you decide to leave the clearing by the south way, turn to 28.
Or if you prefer the smaller track that leads eastwards into the forest, turn to 201.
You have covered about a quarter of a mile when you hear shouting and a noise like thunderclaps ahead. Edging nearer, you soon make out a clearing that you recognize to be the site of the ruins of Raumas, an ancient forest temple.
A war party of Giaks, some twenty-five to thirty strong, are attacking the ruins from all sides. Many more of the Giaks are dead or dying among the broken pillars of marble, but still they assault whatever is hidden inside. Suddenly, a bolt of blue lightning rips through the front rank of Giaks sending the armour-clad creatures tumbling in all directions. A Giak, taller than the others and dressed from head to foot in black chainmail, curses at his troops as he whips them forward with a barbed flail.
With weapon ready, you move to the edge of the clearing, under cover of the thick foliage, and try to catch a glimpse of the defenders. To your amazement, the ruins are being defended by a young man no older than yourself. You recognize his sky-blue robes, embroidered with stars. He is a young theurgist of the Magicians' Guild of Toran: an apprentice in magic.
Five Giaks charge forward, their spears raised to stab the apprentice as he hurriedly retreats deeper into the ruins. You see him turn and raise his left hand just before a bolt of blue flame shoots from his fingertips into the snarling Giak soldiers. Close to where you are hidden, you see a Giak scuttle past and climb one of the pillars of the temple. He has a long curved dagger in his mouth and he is about to jump on the young wizard standing below.
If you wish to shout a warning to the wizard, turn to 241.
If you wish to run forward and attack the Giak when he jumps, turn to 55.
If you wish to pick up a chunk of temple marble and throw it at the Giak's head, turn to 302.
Or if you would rather turn and leave the battle area, and run back into the woods, turn to 101.
The bodyguard looks at you with great suspicion and slams the door. You can hear voices chattering inside the caravan. Suddenly the door swings open and the face of a wealthy merchant appears. He recognizes your Kai cloak and apologizes for his servant's behaviour.
He says that they have been attacked several times since they left Toran: by Kraan, by bandits, and by robbers. They thought you may have been a bandit. Inside, the caravan is full of silks and spices. The merchant offers you food which you gratefully accept. After your sumptuous Meal, the fatigue of your ordeal finally overcomes you and you slip into a deep sleep.
As you approach the statue, several cracks appear in its stone surface. It suddenly explodes before you as a real Winged Serpent breaks free of its stone mantle and attacks you.
You must fight the creature.
Winged Serpent: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 18
(This creature is immune to Mindblast.)
If you win the fight, turn to 266.
Using your skills, you detect Giak tracks around the perimeter of the clearing. The prints are fresh and you can tell that these cruel minions of the Darklords were in this area less than two hours ago.
Forewarned by this knowledge, if you decide to investigate the huts, turn to 305.
If you would rather avoid the clearing, turn to 40.
Peering over the steep undercut of the river bank, you can see a tangle of driftwood along the water's edge. A large tree trunk has grounded on the clay bank next to a small canoe.
If you wish to use the log to float down the river, turn to 223.
If you wish to use the canoe, turn to 4.
The Giaks get nearer and then crouch down as if preparing themselves to pounce. You can see the sharp serrated points of their spears and hear their low guttural speech. The larger of the two creatures screams, ‘Orgadak taag! Nogjat aga ok!’ and attacks you.
You must fight each of the Giaks in turn. Add 1 point to your COMBAT SKILL during this fight, as you have the advantage of the higher ground in your favour.
Giak 1: COMBAT SKILL 13 ENDURANCE 10
Giak 2: COMBAT SKILL 12 ENDURANCE 10
If you win, turn to 313.
As the last of the foul creatures die, so the greenish light starts to fade. You notice that in each of the broken skulls lies a Gem. You take these 20 Gems3 before darkness engulfs the chamber. Remember to mark these on your Action Chart.
You quickly leave the dead Crypt spawn and press on.
You prepare your weapon and advance to meet the enemy. There are two Mountain Giaks and you must fight them one at a time.
Giak 1: COMBAT SKILL 13 ENDURANCE 10
Giak 2: COMBAT SKILL 12 ENDURANCE 10
If you win, turn to 291.
The inner courtyard is a bustle of activity. Cavalry scouts are waiting beside their nervous horses for messages from their unit commanders inside the Great Hall. They take orders with great speed to the defenders of the outer fieldworks. No sooner do they gallop off, than other scouts return, many of them breathless and wounded.
You have taken less than a dozen steps across the courtyard when you hear a deep voice boom out. ‘Stop that man!’
You are in a clearing where several trees have been cut down to make a rickety watchtower. Below the tower are three paths leading off in different directions.
If you take the south path, turn to 14.
If you take the east path, turn to 252.
If you take the southwest path, turn to 215.
If you decide to climb the watchtower, turn to 36.
Your Sixth Sense has warned you that some of the creatures that attacked the monastery are searching the two paths for any survivors of their raid, but you can avoid both tracks by making your way through the undergrowth of the woods.
If you wish to head south, turn to 56.
Or if you wish to cut through the heavier foliage towards the northeast, turn to 333.
You can see the tall grey-white walls and glimmering spires of Holmgard, its banners fluttering from the battlements in the fresh morning breeze. Stretching out towards the west, the River Eledil traces its course from the mountains of the Durncrag range to the Holmgulf. But from below the mountain peaks you can see a vast black army marching relentlessly on towards the city.
To your right you can see the highway heading off over the rolling plain towards Holmgard. At a run you could reach the outer fieldworks of the city defences in an hour, but you would be in the open for most of the time and vulnerable to attack by Kraan. However, ahead of you, a wide and muddy river drifts sluggishly towards the Eledil. You could use the cover of the river banks and swim towards the capital. Or towards your left lies the Graveyard of the Ancients. These tombs and crumbling monuments to a forgotten age would conceal your approach, but it is a forbidden area. Many are the unnamed horrors that lie there in restless sleep, waiting to consume the unwary trespasser.
If you will try your luck by the highway, turn to 58.
If you feel that you stand a better chance of reaching the capital via the river, then turn to 135.
Or if you are brave enough to risk the unknown perils of the Graveyard of the Ancients, turn to 102.
You soon emerge from the woods onto a main highway. You recognize it as being the main road between the port of Toran in the north and the capital in the south. Spurring your horse on, you estimate you will reach the capital by morning.
You fight your way through the press of bodies along the main street towards the citadel in the distance. City folk are rushing to and fro in the grip of panic, as the cries of Kraan are heard circling high above.
In the crush, one item is stolen from your Backpack. If you no longer have a Backpack or if you have no Backpack Items, you lose a Weapon. Remember to take this off your Action Chart.
A runaway horse and cart career past and knock you into a doorway. You are stunned and you lose 2 ENDURANCE points. As you stagger to your feet, the door bursts open and a decrepit old man attacks you with a meat cleaver. He is quite insane and you must fight him or take evasive action.
If you choose to fight, turn to 63.
If you wish to evade a fight, turn to 217.
You feel as if you have been run down by a cart or wagon. As you fall forward the last thing that you remember before the darkness overcomes you, is the taste of the sandy road and the terrible pain in your back.
You have ridden about a mile when you are knocked from your horse by an arrow grazing your forehead. You lose 3 ENDURANCE points.
As you pull yourself to your feet, you see a patrol of Drakkarim emerge from the woods on either side of the road. You have been ambushed and must evade them as quickly as possible by going into the forest.
After a few minutes walking, you find a mossy hut set back from the path. You are hungry and must eat a Meal here or lose 3 ENDURANCE points. As you eat you notice that the path starts to curve towards the east. 4
If you wish to follow it, turn to 42.
If you wish to return the way you have come, turn to 28.
Kicking open the door, you dive into the farmhouse. A Kraan soars overhead, letting out a shriek of victory, a victim hanging in its claws. Getting to your feet, you find yourself alone. But propped against the fireplace is a Warhammer. You may take this Weapon if you wish.
If you want to stay in the farmhouse, turn to 81.
If you would feel safer in the forest, you can make a dash by turning to 320.
If you wish to search the room further, turn to 199.
As you ride along the highway, you notice that light is getting worse. It will soon be completely dark—and impossible to see any dangers that may lurk ahead. You decide to hide and rest at the wood's edge until morning.
When you are satisfied that no one can see you, you pull your warm green cloak about you and drift off into an uneasy sleep.
Although a little overcooked, the food tastes fine (although it is not enough for a whole Meal) and the clear water slakes your thirst. You have spent nearly half an hour resting in this house when you suddenly realize the delay.
Prepare your equipment and leave. Turn to 83.
If you concentrate on the keyhole, you could move the mechanism of the lock and open it. You can then make the pin levitate and free it from the lockplate, avoiding falling prey to any traps that may be set off as the door unlocks.
If you wish to use your Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter to open this lock and levitate the pin, turn to 87.
If you wish to remove the pin, turn to 337.
The herbalist offers you a selection of special potions. Some increase your strength; some induce invisibility; some give you great powers of stealth; and others give you the power of turning yourself into a gaseous form. The man pulls open the bottom drawer of the counter to reveal a magnificent wand. He says that it is a powerful weapon against all evil creatures, and that it will make you invulnerable in battle. He points to the mystical inscriptions which cover the black staff.
If you wish to lean over the counter and read the strange inscriptions, turn to 49.
If you are more interested in the potions, turn to 231.
Before you are the tall grey-white walls and glimmering spires of Holmgard, the city's banners fluttering from the battlements in the fresh morning breeze. Stretching out towards the west, the River Eledil traces its course from the mountains of the Durncrag range to the Holmgulf. But below the mountain peaks you can see a vast black army marching relentlessly on towards the capital.
To your right you can see the highway heading off over the rolling plain towards Holmgard. At a gallop you could make the outer fieldworks of the city's defences in less than an hour, but you would be in the open for most of the time and vulnerable to attack by Kraan. Directly ahead of you, a wide river drifts sluggishly towards the Eledil. If you abandoned your horse, you could swim towards the outer defences under cover of the river banks. Or there is a final alternative. To your left lies the Graveyard of the Ancients. These tombs and crumbling monuments to a forgotten age would conceal your approach but it is a forbidden area. Many are the unnamed horrors that lie there in restless sleep, waiting to consume the unwary trespasser.
If you will try your luck by the highway, turn to 202.
If you feel that you stand a better chance of reaching the capital via the river then turn to 135.
Or if you are brave enough to risk the unknown perils of the Graveyard of the Ancients, turn to 329.
You are dizzy from your wound and you stumble through the trees like a blind man.
Suddenly you fall forward as if the ground has been snatched from beneath your feet. You have fallen head-first into a hunting pit. As you look up, you can see four Drakkarim levelling their bows at you, evil sneers spreading simultaneously across their ugly faces.
As the world darkens, the last thing you feel are the black shafts of their arrows deep in your chest. You have failed in your mission.
As you approach, the group of people stop talking. You can see by their expressions that they recognize your green Kai cloak. Slowly, one of the men extends his hand in friendship and says, ‘My Lord, we had heard a rumour that the Kai were destroyed. Heaven be praised that it is not so. We feared all was lost.’
You do not tell them of the destruction of the monastery, for they are refugees from Toran and have lost everything they owned. Their only hope now is that the Kai Lords will lead an army to victory. You learn that the northern port was attacked from both air and sea, and that the forces of the Darklords far outnumbered the King's brave garrison. You reassure them that Sommerlund will not fall and wish them luck on their journey ahead.
Black arrows embed themselves in the mud all around you. More Giaks have appeared on the steep slope of the river bank and are firing at you. There is no cover on this side of the river.
If you wish to dive into the water and swim with the current, turn to 294.
If you wish to swim across to the cover of the trees on the other bank, turn to 245.
The forest begins to thin out until finally you can make out a road through the trees ahead. The highway is full of people heading south. Many are wheeling their possessions along on handcarts.
If you wish to join the refugees and perhaps learn more of what has happened in the north, turn to 30.
If you would prefer to continue to move south but under cover of the trees, turn to 167.
The Key fits and the lock opens. You pull back the door to find yourself face to face with a strange old man. In his right hand is a staff. Suddenly a bolt of lightning shoots from the staff and hits you square in the chest. You lose 6 ENDURANCE points. Gasping with pain, you knock the old man aside and run up the steep staircase towards daylight. You are halfway up the stairs when he fires another bolt at you.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If the number is 0–5, the bolt misses you and shatters part of the wall.
If the number is 6–9, then you have been hit in the back and lose a further 4 ENDURANCE points.
If you survive, you stagger out into the daylight and curse your bad luck. It was only by an unlucky chance you discovered the secret temple of a sect of evil druids. You are very lucky to have escaped with your life. You quickly rejoin the path which now disappears over the hill.
Your ploy does not work, for the merchant will not allow you to enter his caravan. Suddenly he clicks his fingers and the bodyguard grasps the hilt of his scimitar.
You must fight him by turning to 191.
Or you must jump clear of the speeding caravan. Turn to 234.
Pick a number from the Random Number Table.
If it is 0–4, you have been seen. Turn to 286.
If it is 5–9, they do not spot you and they slowly file away along the far side of the ridge. Turn to 10.
As you sit down, the stone serpent slowly moves forward on its plinth. You suddenly break out in a cold sweat and grasp your weapon with trembling fingers in case it should attack. A red forked tongue appears from the head of this strange statue and dips into the bowl of green light above your head. Slowly the tongue re-emerges holding a Golden Key which, to your surprise, it drops into your lap. A panel in the east wall clicks open to reveal an exit.
You take the Key and leave as quickly as possible.
As you get nearer to the men, you call to them. As they turn to face you, your skin turns cold and your heart pounds, for they are Drakkarim in disguise. Suddenly they charge at you. Forced to the ground, you are tied up with ropes and dragged behind them along a track. They take your Backpack and Weapons, but do not search your cloak or find your Gold Crowns. They cackle menacingly to themselves, and talk at great length of the tortures that await you at their camp.
If you have the Kai Discipline of Mind Over Matter, turn to 258.
If you do not have this skill, turn to 127.
After nearly an half an hour you feel the current getting stronger. Looking out across the surface you can see that you are approaching a whirlpool in the middle of a large river bend. You will surely drown if caught in its current, so you quickly swim towards the right hand river bank and continue your mission on foot, carrying all your equipment.
Carefully opening the seals on each of the bottles, you sniff at the contents. They all seem to be different types of wine. Suddenly a smaller bottle tucked behind the others catches your eye. Pulling out the glass stopper, you recognize the smell to be that of Alether, a Potion of Strength, which is orange in colour.
You may keep this Potion and swallow it before you fight. It will increase your COMBAT SKILL by 2 points for the duration of your fight. Be sure to mark it down on your Action Chart and to strike it off once you have used it.
You now decide to investigate the stable by turning to 308.
You awake in a fever. Images swim before your eyes and then fade completely. The pain in your back is intense and you cry out for relief. You feel a cool, damp cloth placed on your forehead and glimpse the worried face of a young woman. An old man whispers in her ear and then he disappears from view. The girl kneels at your side and comforts you with words of kindness and reassurance, but the light quickly fades and darkness engulfs you once more.
You are in the presence of a great evil. Your mind is being probed by a powerful and timeless being and you must shield yourself. The struggle has begun and your sanity is at stake. It is a long and torturous ordeal, during which you experience many fantastic and terrible apparitions that tempt and appal you. After this you must lose 4 ENDURANCE points and stagger towards the tunnel.
You have been travelling for about a mile when you notice two legs sticking out from behind a large boulder.
If you possess and wish to use the Kai Discipline of Sixth Sense, turn to 178.
If you wish to take a closer look, turn to 88.
If you would rather avoid meeting their owner and press on into the forest, turn to 264.
You pull yourself to the top of the opulent caravan and nestle among the travelling cases and bags. Night will soon engulf the highway. A chill wind blows from the west and you pull your cloak around yourself to keep warm. You listen to the voices below and you can smell the mouthwatering aroma of spiced meat. It reminds you that you are very hungry and must now take a Meal.
The fatigue of your ordeal finally catches up with you and you drift off into a restless sleep.
As you pass each skull, it slowly turns, as if watching your every move. You are halfway across the room when you hear the sharp crack of bone splitting. Suddenly you see hideous shapes hatching inside the skulls, and stretching their wings.
Ten slimy winged creatures attack you, and you must fight them as one enemy.
Crypt Spawn: COMBAT SKILL 16 ENDURANCE 16
You may evade more fighting after the first round of combat and run for the archway by turning to 23.
If you win the combat, turn to 137.
The tunnel is dark and the air is much cooler than outside. You carefully advance with one hand on the tunnel wall to aid your sense of direction. You have been in total darkness for three minutes when you detect the foul smell of decay ahead, similar to rotting meat. If you have a Torch and Tinderbox in your Pack, you may light the Torch to see your way ahead.
Suddenly, something heavy drops from the tunnel ceiling onto your back and you fall to your knees. It is a Burrowcrawler and you must fight it, for it is trying to strangle you with its long slimy tentacles.
Burrowcrawler: COMBAT SKILL 17 ENDURANCE 7
If you do not have a torch, deduct 3 points from your COMBAT SKILL during this fight. The Burrowcrawler is immune to Mindblast and Animal Kinship.
If you win, turn to 319.
You are at the very edge of the wood when your horse rears up in agony. The Kraan has sunk its claws deep into the horse's hind legs and is trying to knock you to the ground with its wings. The ghoulish Giak rider squeals with delight as he stabs at you with his spear. You jump to the ground and dash for the trees, leaving the poor dying horse in the clutches of the Kraan.
Night falls and you are soon engulfed in darkness. To press on any further would be futile, for you would be sure to lose your way. Tethering your horse to a tree, you pull your green Kai cloak about you and fall into a restless sleep.
You are awoken by the sound of troops in the distance. Across the lake you see the black shapes of Drakkarim and a pack of Doomwolves. A Kraan appears from above the trees and lands on the roof of the small wooden shack. It is being ridden by a creature dressed in red robes. The Kraan takes